BY MOLLY STONE
The morning was met with an overcast sky, the sun peeking through the clouds. The November air was chilly, teasing the arrival of winter. Frost covered cars rolled in through the front entrance of Stonehill College, each driver greeted with a friendly wave from Kenny Florio, the gatehouse attendant. Kenny sits in his swivel chair, with one hand on the gate switch, the other ready to wave visitors in. Students who entered the campus slowed down their cars and waved back as they approached the entrance. Visitors who needed directions rolled down their windows and turned to Kenny for assistance. He directed guests attending campus tours towards the admissions building and parents visiting their children towards dorm buildings. Many recognize the older gentleman that lets them onto campus, but who really is he?
Kenny was born in November 1954 to Michael and Philomena Florio. He was born and raised in Brockton, Massachusetts into a large Italian family. Growing up, his family owned and operated George’s Café, a small neighborhood restaurant with a distinct interior: the walls covered with autographed photographs, sports memorabilia, and press clippings. The restaurant was a legendary spot for the community where locals came together to enjoy some authentic Italian cuisine. He and his cousins all grew up in the restaurant and were taught loyalty to the family business.
“For the family, there was no other place to go out to eat in the city,” Kenny said.
George’s Café is where Kenny’s love and appreciation for food started.
Kenny knew he wanted to continue making an impact on the restaurant industry after being submerged in it since birth. He took the knowledge and leadership skills he learned from his family at George’s and decided to get something up and running himself. By the time Kenny was 18 years old, he opened his own bar and night club called Kenny’s.
“During that time, the drinking age was 18. I was the youngest owner in Brockton with their liquor license. It was definitely my favorite job,” Kenny said.
He operated Kenny’s and another bar called Enrico’s until the 90s. Both restaurants were located in his hometown of Brockton.
Despite Kenny’s focus on his career, he was able to have a life outside of the kitchen. When he was 23, he married his high school sweetheart, Marylou. Together they shared a daughter named Ashly.
The demands and long hours of operating a bar and nightclub caught up to Kenny in the late 1990s. He wanted to spend more time with his family and take on a less taxing job, while remaining in the kitchen. In 2002, Kenny decided to join the Sodexo team at Stonehill College.
“When your family has been in the food industry, it’s kind of just in your blood you know?” Kenny said.
“I started as a line cook in the kitchen at the dining hall, then went on to be a supervising manager there. After that, I started running the Hill. The Hill was like my baby,” Kenny continued.
Kenny ran the Hill, a dining spot on campus in the lower dining commons, for many years. Under his management, there were over 30 menu items and a smoothly operated kitchen. Kenny ran the Hill similarly to his own businesses: catering and modifying food for each student, caring for his staff on a personal level, and being an inspirational leader that people looked up to.
“They used to call me “King of the Hill,” Kenny said.
In addition to managing the Hill, Kenny helped out around campus when he assisted in the opening of ABP, cooked in the Holy Cross Center, and cooked for priests and other visitors during events. Kenny’s food made an impact all over Stonehill.
After almost two decades of management, Kenny decided to retire in 2018.
“I just knew it was time to go,” he said.
A retirement party for Kenny was held in the Hill with many Sodexo workers and other staff in attendance to wish Kenny well. He was a beloved member of the Stonehill community.
Kenny was excited to retire with his wife, Marylou, who also retired in 2018. They had plans to travel and spend undivided quality time together, time they believed they had much of. Sadly, Kenny and Marylou were given an unexpected timeline when she was diagnosed with bone cancer that same year. Kenny held his Marylou’s hand through her hard fight for about three years until 2020, when she passed away.
“We were together for nearly 50 years. When you’re with someone for that long and you lose them, you’re just kind of lost,” Kenny said.
Kenny found himself alone and grieving in the large house he and Marylou shared together in Easton. It was extremely hard for him to be at home all day, missing Marylou as he walked from room to room.
“My daughter checked on me every day but, I just didn’t know what to do,” Kenny said.
After the loss of Marylou, Kenny knew it would be good for him to return to work. He turned to the Stonehill community.
“I originally reached out to see if they needed anyone up in the commons. But a friend who works for campus police mentioned they needed an attendant at the front gate,” Kenny said.
Kenny happily signed on. Interacting with students and visitors every day brings Kenny great joy. He has always known the power of the Stonehill community and feels grateful for the opportunity to be back.